Captain America: The Call of Magic
by Zumatra Alder
Summary: More then 600 years have passed since the death of King Arthur. Balinor's ghost reveals that he and Hunith lived a second live, and now Merlin's sister, Rexanne (OC), and Mordred search for the boy who is the Great Sorcerer's brother. Only one thing stands in their way: WW2, or more specifically, Hydra.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

"Morgana, please! I need to go find him!"

"You can't wander out of our realm, Rex. What does Merlin have to say about this?"

"…I haven't told him yet."

"Rexanne!"

"I wanted it to be a surprise!"

"You wanted what to be a surprise?"

The argument that Morgana and I were having was cut short as Merlin walked into my room with Gaius, Mordred, and Leon. It was Gaius who spoke, as he gazed at me with a raised eyebrow. I gave an annoyed huff, but began explaining anyways.

"I was out flying this morning, just stretching my wings, when I had the urge to go to the crystal cave. And you know that my instincts and intuition are hardly ever wrong. When I got to the main cave, father's ghost was there."

"Balinor? He's back?"

"Yeah, and he told me why we haven't heard from him in a while. Apparently, he and mum were given another chance at life. To settle down and raise a family."

"So we might have more siblings?" Merlin asked, catching on quickly. I nodded.

"We have a younger brother. Dad wasn't able to give me a name, but he told me where he lived. And I want to go out and look for him, but Morgana won't let me," I finished explaining.

"I know how eager you are, Rexanne, but you do know that there is a war going on," Gaius pointed out. "We are not to interfere with major events, and this being the Second World War, we are absolutely not allowed to intervene."

"Yes, I know," I sighed, exasperated, "but Gaius, if our younger brother is anything like us," I gestured to myself and Merlin, "then you would know that he is not just going to sit back and let things happen. He's going to want to participate, and he might get himself killed before the war ends, and then we wouldn't be able to meet him."

"She's got a point," Merlin said.

"Yeah, you and Rexie are the biggest interferers," Leon said laughingly, patting Merlin on the back a little too harshly, causing the Sorcerer to flinch.

"Alright, you may go," Gaius said, and I started to cheer. "On one condition."

"What is it?"

"You take someone other than myself or Merlin along."

"I'll go," Mordred volunteered immediately. "I'm getting bored here anyways."

"And you think that the rest of us aren't?" Leon asked jokingly. Mordred rolled his eyes.

"Get packed then, Mordred, we'll leave at dawn," I said, "I'll be flying, of course."

"Remember, Rex; do not interfere too much," Morgana warned, knowing she lost the fight. I nodded at her.

"I'll try not to," I tried to reassure her, "but if our brother wants to fight, then I'll fight alongside him. But not as a dragon. I'll promise you that."

Far away, a young man sighed. His eyes skimmed through the letter that his mother had left for him after she had passed. He could not believe its contents, but it was his mother's handwriting:

My Dearest Child,

I deeply apologize that I am not able to tell you this in person, but you are not an only child.

Your father and I lived many years ago, during the reign of the Pendragons. I met your father when he went into hiding for being born with magic. Not long after we met, he had to flee again, and I found that I was with child. When your brother was born, I found an infant girl, and raised her alongside your brother.

When they were old enough, I sent them to an old friend of mine for safety. They grew up to become powerful sorcerers, and helped Arthur Pendragon with his reign over Camelot.

Both your brother and your sister are still alive to this day. Your father communicated with them, and they should be searching for you at this moment. They won't know what you look like, nor will you know, but I assure you, you will know when you see them.

I apologize once again, my son.

Your Loving Mother,

Hunith

How could she and his father kept such a big secret from him all these years? He had to elder siblings. In fact, if it what she wrote were true, they'd be over 600 years old. How was that even possible? And the fact that they had magic? Magic didn't exist.

His hand went up subconsciously to rub at the strange marking on his neck. It had been there since he was born. It was a mark that ran in the family, that's what his parents told him. They both had it as well, which proved their point.

He hadn't told anyone yet. How could he? He could hardly believe the letter himself, so what would others think? Especially his best friend? He would have to wait until his brother or his sister found him. Or both. But how long would that take?


	2. Chapter 1: The Hunt Begins

**Chapter One**

Piercing gray eyes stared back at me as I gazed at the mirror. My black hair was a mess, but it wasn't anything a quick brush couldn't fix. Or spell if I'm in a hurry (or too lazy). But being a servant 600 years ago, I always woke at the crack of dawn, therefore, I wasn't always in a hurry. Old habits die hard. Then again, I'm still technically a servant to Morgana and the others. So is Merlin.

Work didn't start until eight, and that was still a few hours away. Mordred was up as well, also being used to waking up early. He was in his room, reading. We managed to secure a little apartment for the two of us. We posed as siblings (me being the elder sister) and we found work with a scientist named Dr. Abraham Erskine. Mordred was helping him stabilize a serum he had developed, while I was sent out to find the perfect candidate.

We met Dr. Erskine when we first arrived. We had broken into a top security building (the technology was no match against our magic) and made it all the way to the laboratory before they noticed anything amiss.

After much persuasion (and a bit of magic) we managed to prove that we were not the enemy. Of course, they immediately wanted us to fight; having magic as powerful as ours would be a great asset for the war. Naturally, we refused. After all, we were persuaded by our superior (aka Gaius) not to fight. And if we had no choice but to fight, we would do so with minimal to no magic. We can fight well enough without it.

"What's for breakfast?" Mordred called out, pulling me from my thoughts.

"The usual," I replied, quickly brushing my hair and pulling it into a ponytail. "It's not like I can make anything else with these rations. Good food is scarce in wartime."

"Well, at least you and Merlin can make an excellent meal out of anything," Mordred commented as I walked into the kitchen, "including rats and insects."

I laughed with him at the mention of that. In the past, on very few occasions, we had to make do with eating rat and other small rodents, along with various types of insects. Not the best meal ever, but it was all we had.

"Well, hopefully we won't be doing that again for a long time," I said, pulling out the ingredients for breakfast. While I cooked, Mordred brewed us some herbal tea. We had tried what they call coffee, but it had no appeal to us, not even with various amounts of milk and/or sugar. The herbal tea was what we drank when we decided to live in China for a century, and we loved it. That happened long before the British colonized Asia.

When the clock neared eight, I got up and made my way to the recruitment center part of the hospital. I worked there as a nurse, handling the physicals and once in a while, patched up some wounds. Mordred was headed off to the lab that Dr. Erskine worked at (the one we broke into).

The day was filled with boys and men wanting to become soldiers. Many of them tried flirting with me, but much to their surprise, I brushed them all off. Thank the stars that I'm used to similar behavior from Gwaine, though _he_ was much more charming and polite. These 'soldiers' had little to no respect; they were worse than Arthur was on his bad days!

I picked up the next folder in my pile, rolling my eyes at the flirty soldiers and unimpressed nurses. I opened the file and skimmed through the paper. My eyes stopped at the picture. The boy was skinny, more so than Merlin was, but that wasn't what caught my attention.

Right between his right collarbone and shoulder was a small black marking. It looked a lot like a druid marking, but I had to see it myself to make sure. If it was a druid mark, then there was the likelihood that he could be the one we were looking for. Our brother.

"Rogers, Steven Grant," I called out. A man, looking hardly out of his boyhood, stood up and approached me. He was thinner in person; I could count each of his ribs, his bony shoulders jutted out, and he looked like a friendly punch could take him out. He had straw blond hair and sky blue eyes. And there it was, clear as day: the druid mark.

"Follow me," I said when he finally made his way to me. I led him to the exam room that I worked in. He clambered up on the exam table as I quickly washed my hands.

"So, tell me, Mr. Rogers," I began. I was curious to know more about this boy who was daring enough to try to sign up for the war despite being at a clear disadvantage. "What makes you so eager to join the bloodshed?"

He looked surprised. It was most likely from the way I worded my question. But that is was war is- bloodshed. And lots of it.

"Don't look so surprised. No matter what fanciful words they use in order to make war seem appealing, it is always the same," I said, leaning against the counter and crossing my arms. "People die in the most bloodiest of ways. Wives lose their husbands; children, their fathers. Mothers lose their sons, sisters lose their brothers."

"But we have to stop the tyranny Hitler made," Steve interrupted. "We have to bring back peace." I quirked an eyebrow, waiting for him to continue.

"Hitler and his Nazis are nothing but bullies. I hate bullies. Just because we are born under a different religion doesn't change the fact that we are human. Hitler doesn't get that, and he hurts people who are different. He's nothing but a big bully."

"An interesting way to put it," I said with a smirk. "But you are right, of course. Many people tend to forget that no matter what we look like, what religion we have, or anything else; we are all human in the end."

Steve blushed and rubbed a hand through his hair. "What does that have to do with the exam?"

"Nothing," I replied. "I am sorry to say this, but even though you have a noble cause and a good heart, it does not change the fact that it looks like the wind could knock you over. Not to mention," I went on, picking up the file, "it seems you have- and have had- a number of ailments that could hinder you as a soldier. I'm partially surprised that you are still alive."

Steve let out a frustrated sigh. I set the file down and gave him a sympathetic look.

"However, I do think you are a good candidate for something else, but it is not my place to explain it. Go to the Stark Expo. When you get to the sign up, ask for Rexanne Cooper. That's me by the way, hello. From there, I'll introduce to the one who will be able to help you further."

Blue eyes stared quizzically at me. "If you are so against war, why do you aid in it?"

I smiled grimly. "Sometimes, as much as it disgusts me, war is necessary to move forward. To tear down the old, and build up the new."

Steve nodded, understanding. He slid off the exam table and walked out of the room.

"See you, I guess," he said, before departing.

"Until our paths cross again, brother," I said, whispering the last bit.

It wasn't until Steve was half-way home did he realize a few things: First off, he spoke to a beautiful girl without making a fool of himself. Second, that same girl seemed unnervingly familiar. For some reason, she reminded him of his mother. In knowing her for only a few minutes, he realized she had the same style of speaking, same mannerisms, even her face was similar to that of his mother's. Could she be his long lost sister?

No, she couldn't be. The girl was too young, too beautiful. She was healthy and fit, whereas he was small, skinny, and had a whole bunch of health issues. How can someone like her be his sister? Let alone look like she's hardly over the age of twenty, despite being centuries old?

Shaking the thoughts from his head, Steve made his way into his flat. Only to be met with a slight surprise.

Bucky sat on his couch, with Steve's mother's letter in hand. Steve didn't know what to feel: horrified that his best friend found his secret before he could understand it? Scared that Bucky would see his family and leave (although that one did seem ridiculous)? Or relieved, knowing that Bucky would help him, like he always had.

Hearing the door close, Bucky glanced up and grinned at Steve.

"Hey, Steve! How come you never told me about this?" he asked, waving the letter for emphasis. "You have a big brother and a big sister!"

"Yeah, well, I didn't know how to tell you. Not to mention, I don't quite understand myself," Steve replied, rubbing the back of his neck.

"So, have you found them yet?" the taller of the duo asked, still grinning.

"I think I might have found my sister…." Steve replied, sitting down in an armchair.

"Oh, what is she like? Small and skinny like you?" Bucky asked. "Or an old lady? It says she is centuries old."

"No. She's gorgeous," Steve confessed. "Just as tall as me, long black hair, gray eyes. She's such a beautiful dame, I was surprised I was able to talk to her without making a fool of myself. Though she did act and talk the same way as mom did…"

"Sounds like you might have a crush on your own sister," Bucky teased. "Think you'd see her again?"

"She said to meet her at the Stark Expo."

"What's her name then? Tell me you at least got her name."

"Rexanne Cooper."

"Rexanne? Well, we better make sure we get you a date for the Expo. Don't want you to be the only punk without one," Bucky said, eyes glimmering mischievously. "And when you go and meet her, take me with you. I'd like to meet this dame. See if she really is as gorgeous as you say she is."

"Sure, but don't go falling in love with my sister. She's out of bounds for you," Steve threatened lightly.

Bucky laughed. "I won't, don't worry yourself, little punk."

"Jerk," Steve muttered, but smiled slightly. He was glad to have someone like Bucky at his side. Even if he is leaving shortly, to fight in the war.


	3. Chapter 2: A Great Destiny?

**Chapter Two**

"I really don't want to do this," I grumbled as I glared at what was my 'uniform' in the mirror. Honestly, I'd rather be wearing the heavy chain-mail the knights wore then this. It was a tight-fitting pale blue dress with a white apron that had a large red plus sign on the chest.

It was a nice dress, don't get me wrong, but not something I would wear. The past few weeks, I managed to get away with wearing what I wore in Camelot, but today, for the Expo, I had to wear this uniform. The only problem with it was that it was a tight-fitting one, almost like a second skin. I was built differently than the women around here; being half-dragon meant that I was more lean and muscular, the other women were not. The younger nurses were thinner, and a most of the older nurses were too. That's because of the First World War and the Great Depression. Lack of food, stress, and worry can have its consequences, and not very good ones.

We may be cut off from the rest of the world, be we still got wind of what went on with them. We learned that the time of kings and queens had ended, and that the time of the people had risen. How will they handle it when King Arthur returned? Will they accept the Once and Future King? The rightful ruler of Albion? Then again, Arthur always thought about what was best for his people, which is the reason why he is so loved.

"You ready, Rex?"

I snapped out of my musings to see Mordred standing at the doorway, dressed in a Military uniform, a displeased look on his face. He, like me, wasn't too pleased with having to part-take in the war. Neither of us wanted this, but if it meant keeping my brother safe, then it's what we will do. When he is accepted as a candidate for the serum. Not if, when. I had no doubt that he was the perfect candidate. And neither did Mordred.

"Ready as I'll ever be," I grumbled, and Mordred laughed slightly.

"Know how you feel, Rex. I like our armor better, not matter how heavy it was. How in the world is this flimsy stuff supposed to keep us safe?" He questioned. I nodded in agreement.

"Well, no use complaining. We've got to do what we've got to do," I sighed as the two of us walked out of our flat.

"Evening, doctor," I greeted as I walked up to Dr. Erskine.

"Ah, good evening Ms. Cooper," the German-born doctor greeted.

"Doctor, I told you to call me Rex," I said, shaking my head. "Ms. Cooper makes me feel like an old married woman. Now, I may be over six centuries old, but definitely not married."

"I apologize, my dear," Dr. Erskine chuckled, his German accent undoubtedly coming through, "but as long as we are out in public, I do believe it is more polite to address as Ms. Cooper."

"True," I sighed. "Anyways, our possible candidate is here today. I'll let you know when he comes in."

"Thank you, dear. I couldn't have a better assistant. Your mentor taught you well."

I smiled at the doctor, then turned to get to work. It wasn't long before I heard my name being called from the front. I wandered over and grinned when I saw the small blond man.

"Hello again," I said, and a small smile spread across Steve's face. "I'm glad you came." I made a 'walk with me' gesture. I walked a little more slowly than I was used to since we couldn't stride though this crowded area.

"You still eager to defeat the bullies, then?" I asked as we made our way into an enclosed area, set up as an examining room.

"Yeah, but I don't see how you're going to persuade them to let me join," Steve said, sitting down on the bed used for examinations.

"Losing hope already?"

"Well, it's not like I can just get rid of all my problems overnight," was the reply, causing me to smile mysteriously.

"I think there might be a solution," I said, turning to leave.

"Wait!"

I paused, allowing Steve to say what was on his mind. I could hear him gulp, and could feel the nervousness that radiated from him.

"I know this might sound stupid… but I was wondering… if you…. if you were…" Steve stumbled over his words, not getting the question out. Knowing what he wanted to know, I decided to help him out.

"You want to know if I was your long lost sister. The one who grew up in the time of the Pendragons." I stated more then asked, turning to look at him. "Had I… had we known about your existence, our brother and I, we would have come to look for you earlier. But our father only mentioned you about a month ago. Mordred and I came looking as soon as we could."

"Mordred's our brother?" Steve asked, looking a little pale at the thought.

"Heaven's no," I laughed, recalling the tall tales Geoffrey created about us. We did not want anyone knowing the true tales. Not until our King returned. "Unlike what the tales say, Mordred is not Morgana and Arthur's son. He was born and raised in a druid camp. And he is a very good friend of ours, despite the fact he was destined to kill Arthur Pendragon. But that's a tale for another time, brother dear."

"Oh," Steve looked relieved. But I could tell there were still questions nagging him.

"I know you still have questions, but let's save those for later. This won't be our final encounter. Like our brother and I, you have a great destiny ahead of you. Let me go fetch the doctor, and then we can move forward."

"I got enlisted."

Bucky glanced sideways at Steve as they walked back to their flats.

"You sure about this? It ain't easy, training. You gotta be hard-boiled to get through it," Bucky said, evidently worried about his best friend.

"Pretty positive. Oh, and Rexanne, the dame I told you about before? She really is my sister," Steve said, "and a real nice lady too. She'll be there to help watch over my training, so I've got nothing to worry about."

"Gosh darn, I really wish I would've come with ya. She sounds real swell," Bucky sighed.

"Yeah, well, someone had to look after our dates," Steve pointed out, then sighed. "Even though mine didn't give me a second look…"

"Don't worry about that, punk. I'm sure your brother and sister weren't all that lucky either."

"I ain't so sure, Buck. Rexanne's really beautiful. I saw a lot of soldiers looking interested," Steve said, sounding mildly hostile, which made Bucky laugh.

"Sounds like you're becoming a protective brother already. Don't want anyone datin' your sister?"

"She could already be married, Buck. She did live for over 600 years."

"Or she could still be single. She could have worse luck than you with dating."

"How can someone manage to be single for that long?"

"Could be some sort of ancient pact, maybe? Or she's really a hag once you get to know her." Steve rolled his eyes while Bucky laughed.

"No-way jerk. Mom wouldn't raise us like that, and she definitely ain't a call-girl. Should've seen the look on her face when some guy tried to make a pass at her. And the next thing we knew, he started brayin' like a donkey, and, gosh, she was looking so smug!"

Bucky clutched his sides from laughing so hard, bent over double. Steve laughed as well, recalling the event.

"Guess she's really got magic and that was her way of callin' him an ass," Steve noted as the laughter died down.

"You really believe that? That she's got magic?" Bucky asked, cheeks red from laughter.

"There's no other way she could've survived this long. And the evidence was right in front of me when she did her little trick. Not to mention, she knows Mordred. Turns out, he really didn't kill King Arthur, nor was he the King and Morgana's son." Steve pointed out. "And mom did mention in her letter that she and our brother are powerful sorcerers."

"Remind me never to get on her bad side then. Don't want to end up being turned into a slug or something nasty."

They reached Steve's flat, and Steve turned to Bucky and gave him a tight hug while bidding him a goodnight. This could very well be the final time he could see his best friend. It made his heart clench, knowing that the man before him, the one who was like a brother to him, could be killed. Sure it was for a good cause. To stop Hitler's reign. But would it be worth it?

Before, Steve was positive about his choice to join the army. He had no one to return to, no one to miss him. But when he found his mother's letter, and met his sister, whom he had started to grow close to, he started doubting himself.

 _Like our brother and I, you have a great destiny ahead of you._

But what was that great destiny? Was it to help in the war? Or was it something else? And what about Bucky? They did nearly everything together. Was he a part of this great destiny? Or was he going to play a small role? Be a pawn in someone's chess game?

Trying to shake the dark thoughts from his mind, Steve made himself ready for bed, half wishing his sister wasn't so cryptic.

 **Slang translation:**

 **Hard-boiled: jaded/tough man**

 **Call-girl: Prostitute**


	4. Chapter 3: One Step Closer

**A/N: Sorry this took so long, but college life had me tightly in its claws. But I'm back.**

 **For those of you wondering how everyone currently in Camelot is alive, here is my answer: Merlin, obviously, by magic. Same goes for Mordred and Morgana. I like to believe (like a few others) that the Cup of Life made Sir Leon immortal, and they used the Cup on Gaius. As for Rexanne, it is a combination of Magic and her dragon heritage.**

 **Chapter Three**

 **Training**

"Bucky wasn't kidding when he said training was difficult," Steve muttered as I massaged the knots and kinks from his back. I laughed softly. It has been a hard week for Steve as he was pushed past his limits in training. It wasn't the first time I had to help my brother with some ailment.

"Nothing in life is ever easy, young one," I said, loosening the last knot. "It wasn't easy in the past, it isn't easy now, and it won't be easy in the future. No matter what inventions people come up with, there will always been some complication."

Steve was silent for a moment as I got his medicine ready. It was a strong smelling salve that eased his asthma that was triggered from the vigorous exercising.

"Hey, Rex? Could you tell me what it was like in Camelot?" Steve asked softly.

"Of course. Which would you rather know: Uther's reign, or Arthur's?" I asked as I smeared the salve on his chest.

"Tell me about Uther's first."

I smiled and put the medicine away, before settling down next to my brother on the cot.

"Uther Pendragon was not as kind of a person as his son was. Despite being loved by people, he was a tyrant. Killed anyone _accused_ of having magic. It didn't matter if you did have it or not, you were executed. Our brother and I went to Camelot when Mother sent us to an old friend of hers to learn magic. When we first arrived, we witnessed the execution of a young man, not much older then you, having been accused for having magic."

"That's terrible," Steve whispered.

"It was. The boy's mother was distraught, and tried to kill Arthur. It was only because of our brother's quick thinking that Arthur lived. Although, much to their displeasure, our brother was made Arthur's personal servant."

" _Their_ displeasure?"

"Well, Arthur was a bit of a pompous prat when we first met," I said. "It was only when our brother and I became friends with him, his half-sister, and Gwen did he start to mature."

"His half-sister is Morgana, right? You were friends with Morgana?"

"We still are. Sure, Morgana went dark for a bit, but when she and I found out that Morgause, her half-sister, was using her, Morgana came back to us. Morgause and Morgana share the same mother, and Morgana and Arthur have the same father."

"Why does Uther hate magic so much?"

Ah, that question. I smiled sadly and sighed.

"Ygraine, Uther's wife and Arthur's mother, was unable to have children. So, Uther sent Gaius to ask Nimueh, a sorceress that Ygraine and Uther knew, to use magic to allow Ygraine to have a child. What Nimueh did not tell Uther, however, was that using magic to make a life requires a life to be taken."

"Ygraine died then?"

"During childbirth. Uther was completely distraught over this, and blamed Nimueh for her death. He banished her from Camelot, accusing her of treason. Since then, he never trusted anyone who had magic, believing that all magic was evil. The only person Uther trusted who practiced magic was Gaius, but he had sworn not to use magic and become Court Physician."

"Your mentor?"

"Exactly."

"So the legends weren't that far off, were they?"

"Well, the legends all differ. Geoffrey was the first writer, and the one who wrote the closest to the real story."

"But why are you never mentioned in the stories?"

I smiled grimly, then sighed.

"You know that I'm not really yours and our brother's sister. I'm only adopted."

"Yeah, that was mentioned," Steve recalled. I paused, standing up and putting a safety spell on the door and window. Didn't want any eavesdroppers.

"Your brother is not just a powerful sorcerer. He _is_ the most powerful sorcerer. In fact, he is actually the personification of magic."

"Merlin is… my brother?"

I nodded.

"I didn't tell you because I did not want you to feel like you were stuck in your brother's shadow. It's hard to follow in the footsteps of someone like Merlin."

Steve nodded, chuckling slightly. "That's true. I appreciate that you did that, but knowing that someone powerful is related to me gives me some hope that I can do something great too."

"That's one way of seeing things," I said with a smile.

"And you? What about you?"

"What about me? I'm a sorceress. Not as powerful as Merlin- no one could be as powerful as him- but as powerful as Morgana and Mordred."

Steve gave me a look, and I could tell that he didn't fully believe me.

"Listen, youngling, my true identity is a tale for another time. It isn't that I do not trust you, it's rather that it is a very big secret. And that revealing it is rather difficult. Especially in a small room."

"Now it's getting rather late, young one, and you need lots of rest for another strenuous day," I said, patting him on the shoulder. He settled down on the cot as I stood up.

"Good night, little brother. Sleep well."

"Good night, Rexanne."

"Are you sure you and your friend isn't willing to aid us?" Colonel Phillips asked what felt like the thousandth time. Mordred rolled his eyes, but was saved from answering by Agent Peggy Carter. She had grown rather close to the two druids.

"They're not your soldiers, Colonel. At least they are willing to help us with our cause, even if not in the way you expected."

"But having magic in our front lines-"

"With all due respect, sir," Mordred interrupted. "We only came for one person. But since he wishes to fight in this war, we will not stop him from fighting. We only aid in the fight so that we can ensure his survival. We were never meant to fight in this war, but we are bending the rules just enough to aid our friend."

"And he is training the soldiers," Dr. Erskine pointed out. Mordred nodded. But he wished that they would be a little bit more respectful. Honestly, what has happened to the old code? They may be soldiers instead of knights, and some rules may no longer qualify, but they could follow the rest of the code.

At least Rex and Merlin's younger brother seemed to follow the code. Perhaps Hunith and Balinor taught him some of the code. Mordred also made it his duty to teach the soldiers the way of the old code, but was met with difficulty from the soldiers themselves.

Colonel Phillips huffed.

"What he is teaching my recruits? Some blasphemous old code."

"The Old Code," Mordred stated in a firm tone, "teaches chivalry, respect, unity, and nobility. Do you really want your soldiers to stoop as low as the Nazis?"

The old Colonel said nothing, but it gave Mordred his answer anyways.

"I didn't think so."

Mordred stepped back from the Colonel and faced Dr. Erskine.

"So when will it be time?"

"I wish to see them once more, particularly Steve. Then I shall make final preparations."


	5. Chapter 4: A Step into A Great Destiny

**Chapter Four**

A day passed and Dr. Erskine came to his conclusion. He was willing to take Steve as his test subject. And Mordred and I were to stay at the camp while Steve underwent the progress. Mordred was fine with staying behind; after all he had to continue with training the soldiers. I, on the other hand, wasn't too pleased. How could I let my baby brother undergo a scientific experiment without me there to comfort him.

When I confronted Dr. Erskine about it, he merely patted me on the shoulder.

"Fear not, my dear. Your brother is strong enough to handle this on his own," he had said. "Besides, the Coronal wants you to take my place as Doctor should anything happen while I am away." I merely huffed in reply.

Pacing up and down the barracks, I yearned to stretch my wings and take flight. It's been months since the last time I transformed into my dragon form, and I could feel the dragon begging to be let free and take to the skies.

But because of how there was a lack of dragons in today's world, a dragon suddenly flying about would surely cause a riot. Especially if the Coronal finds out that I am that dragon. Surely then he would be persuaded that I need to battle in this war.

"Still so tense, Rex?" Mordred called out as he approached me.

"I can't help it," I said, rolling my shoulders. "I'm worried about him. And the dragon wants to be set loose."

"Rex, you need to learn to relax. Steve will be fine. He's strong, even if his skinny body doesn't show it. He's got yours and Merlin's resourcefulness, not to mention a strong will to survive."

"But what about his magic? We know how technology and magic interact; what if his magic overpowers the technology and something bad happens?"

"Stars above, Rexanne. Stop being such a worrywart. As for the dragon, why don't you go flying tonight? After all, your scales blend into the night sky."

"Maybe," I sighed. Mordred was right; I had to stop worrying so much about my brother. He would be fine.

When the Coronal and Agent Carter returned from the experiment, I confronted them immediately.

"Where's Steve? Where's my brother?" I asked, almost snarling. The Coronal took a step back, unnerved, but Peggy placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Steve's fine, Rex. The experiment was a success."

"Then where is he?"

"He will be doing other things; tonight, we're flying out to London."

"If the experiment was a success, then why is he not going to be flying out with us?"

The Coronal opened and closed his mouth a few times.

"I wanted an army, and all I got was a soldier," he finally spat out.

"Well then," I said, straightening up, "I am going to stay behind and take care of Steve."

"You can't!"

"I can and I will. This is not my war, Coronal. I will do as I please."

With that, I marched off to gather my belongings, Peggy trailing behind me.

"Are you sure you want to stay behind? Your magic could do us some good," Peggy said softly, as not to rouse my anger.

"Someone has to stay behind and teach Steve magic. Even though our brother and I were self-taught, it's better to have someone there to teach you. Besides, you have Mordred. He's as good a sorcerer as I am."

"But with two of you, there will be more power."

"With three of us, it will be tripled. I'm staying and training Steve. And you can't persuade me otherwise."

"I don't know if I can do this," Steve said as he got dressed for his act.

"You can, brother. I know you can," I encouraged him.

"But I want to be out there! I want to fight," Steve sighed.

I hugged Steve. It felt so different hugging the now super soldier when I was used to embracing the small Steve.

"Listen. Once you're done with today, we can begin out magic lessons, okay?" I whispered in his ear. Steve nodded in reply. I patted his arm and Steve went on.

I watched, with slight amusement, as Steve did his silly act. I really didn't approve of this, but if it kept my brother safe…

"This is absolutely ridiculous," I huffed.

"Listen, kid," Senator Brandt's Aide said. "All he's gotta do is sell a few bonds. Bonds buy bullets, bullets kill Nazis. Bing bang boom. He's an American Hero."

I frowned. This… child… knew nothing. Nothing about the real consequences of the war. I shook my head. Leave the idiot to believe what he believes. All that mattered was that Steve was out of harm's way.

I knew I regretted my words as the show moved to Italy. I listened to the soldiers heckle my brother as he tried to do his best to entertain them.

As he came off stage, and the ladies once again did a dance, Steve came to me.

"This was a terrible idea," Steve said, pulling off his mask.

"I know, brother dear, but things will get better," I said, trying to flatten his now messed up hair.

"Stop it," he whined, battering away my hand. I pursed my lips, placing my hands on my hips.

"Steve," I said warningly, knowing what was going on in his mind.

"I know, Rex, but please? I need to be out there with them. Not on stage like a dancing monkey."

"Steve, you know that's not what the superiors want."

"Don't you outrank them? Since you've been in wars already?"

"Technically, I'm a nurse, so no. Also, before that, I was but a mere humble servant of Morgana, and later, Queen Gwen."

Steve sighed, but accepted. I patted him on the back, then went off to the tents to see if any of the nurses needed aid.

The nurses were glad to receive an extra set of hands to work with, and I was allowed private setting so I could use magic when necessary.

I had just finished setting a soldier's dislocated arm back in when Mordred came into the tent.

"Mordred!" I greeted happily, giving the younger sorcerer a hug.

"Rex, we've got a problem. Steve went off to save some soldiers from the Nazis," Mordred said, pulling away from the embrace.

"What?!"

"This is the 107th, and Steve's friend Bucky is in this. Bucky got captured, and Steve is went out to save him."

"Why didn't you go with him?" I asked fervently.

"I only just found out myself," Mordred said, shaking his head. I gave a small growl.

"That child!" I hissed. Mordred placed a placating hand on my shoulder.

"Steve can manage without us, Rex. For now, take care of the soldiers; I'll keep an ear out for Steve."

"Thanks Mordred."


End file.
